Ministers duty not only to labour upon the affections of people for making them choose and embrace that which is good though he ought to do that mainly 2 Tim. 4. 2. but also to inform their judgement by clearing their dangerous mistakes that they may be able to discern truth from errour and that as for other reasons so because of the great influence which a darkened judgement hath in misguiding the affections for it 's like they were not totally ignorant of the resurrection yet of some comfortable circumstances of it or at least did not seriously perpend them which occasioned their excessive grief and therefore Paul doth set himself to inform them I would not have you ignorant that ye sorrow not 3. It is not granted to the most near of Christian friends to enjoy the comfortable society of one another alwayes but however they may eschew all those other sad accidents which either do locally separate chief friends before their death Psal. 88. 18. or make their society one way or other useless Job 13. 4 5. yet death will inevitably make a separation at last and therefore Christians in wisdom ought to improve to the best advantage their mutual society while they enjoy it for Paul supponeth that death had removed some eminent Christians at Thessalonica which was cause of immoderate sorrow to such as were left behind while he saith concerning them that are asleep tâ—at ye sorrow not 4. Though believers in Jesus Christ be freed from the curse of the Law Gal. 3. 13. and consequently from death it self as it is a piece of that curse Gen. 2. 17. yet death doth seize even upon them and die they must the Lord having so appointed Heb. 9. 27. that through the strait and terrible passage of death they may have an entry unto life Rev. 14. 13. So that death hath changed its nature and use as to them and of a prison to detain them as Malefactors it is made a passage for them to walk safely through to the possession of their Kingdom as victorious Conquerours In which respect among others Christ by his death hath removed the sting of death unto all his followers 1 Cor. 15. 55 c. for Paul sheweth that even believers among them did dye concerning them that are asleep saith he 5. There is a moderate sorrow and grief which the Lord alloweth for the death of Christian friends though not because of any hurt or damage of theirs who are thereby freed from all sin and misery and rendred eternally happy Rev. 14. 13. yet for the loss which either we or the Church of God sustain in their removal 2 King 2. 12. and because the death of such is often a forerunner of sad dayes to come Isa. 57. 1. for Paul by forbidding only immoderate grief doth tacitely allow that which is moderate That ye sorrow not saith he even as others who have no hope But 6. there is an immoderate and excessive sorrow either for time or measure which as even the Godly through infirmity are apt to entertain so the Lord doth disallow and from which he willeth Christians to refrain as savouring much either of want of charity to our deceased friends contrary to Isa. 57. 2. or of Atheistical doubtings concerning the immortality of the soul and a blessed Resurrection of the body contrary to 1 Cor. 15. or at least of too great diffidence of Gods care and providence to supply what loss we our selves or the Church of God do sustain by their removal contrary to Matth. 9. last for Paul dischargeth this immoderate sorrow and upon those grounds while he saith sorrow not even as others who have no hope 7. The serious consideration of death and how its nature and use is changed to believers might be of it self sufficient to stop the current of immoderate and excessive grief for their removal for his expressing their death by a sleep doth serve for an argument to allay their immoderate grief the force whereof is expressed in the exposition concerning them that are asleep that ye sorrow not 8. As Heathens who live and die without the knowledge of Christ are as to salvation in a case wholly hopeless and desperate So that our bodies being turned to ashes in the grave and after that worms have consumed our flesh Job 19. 26. shall again be raised the same for substance and united to our souls is a truth which natures light not being inlightened by the written word could never comprehend Act. 17. 32. for the Gentiles are said here to have been without hope to wit both of salvation and chiefly of the Resurrection as he afterwards explains Now if they could have known a Resurrection they might hâ—ve had hope of it even as others saith he who have no hope Ver. 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Here is a second head of the forementioned doctrine and a second ground of consolation to wit that in Gods due time there shall be a Resurrection unto a glorious life after death I say unto a glorious life for the whole strain of the text doth shew that he speaks only of the Resurrection of the Godly and not of the wicked unto condemnation mentioned Joh. 5. 29. Because that would have served nothing to his present scope which is not to terrifie but to comfort them against the death of their beloved friends See v. 18. and he proves that there shall be such a glorious Resurrection first by laying down an undoubted truth which he supponeth all did believe and take for granted to wit that Jesus Christ the head had dyed and after death arose again 2. By inferring from this ground that therefore the power of God shall raise and bring from the grave to life and immortality 1 Cor. 15. those which sleep in Jesus that is who are dead in Christ and shall continue in the faith whereby they are ingrafted in Christ Eph. 3. 17. to the last gasp And he shall bring them with Christ that is through vertue of their union with him as members with their head where he shortly hints at the force of the inference from Christs Resurrection to ours to wit because we are so nearly united to him to which add that Christs death and resurrection are an infallible forerunner and necessary cause of our resurrection seeing by his death he destroyed death 2 Tim. 1. 10. and arose that he might quicken us from death 1 Cor. 15. 20 21. Doct. 1. As there shall be a blessed resurrection of believers unto life after death So the faith of this truth is a singular cordial for comfort against the terrour of death in so far as though death get us once at under yet we shall not be detained by it and dearest friends who at death do part with grief shall then meet with joy for the Apostles scope is to comfort them against death from the faith of the resurrection
how to wit by that mean ye turned to God 4. As all men are by nature averse from God with their backs upon him and full of enmity in all the faculties of their soul Rom. 8. 7. and members of their body against him Rom. 6 19. So there is alwayes somewhat which every man naturally is turned unto and doth set up to himself in Gods stead by giving unto it the chief and choice of his affections which are Gods due for while it is said they turned to God from Idols it implyeth that they were turned away from God and addicted to their Idols 5. Where ever the Gospel is powerfully accompanied with the Lords blessing to bring about a work of saving grace in a sinner there will be a turning from and abandoning of whatsoever did keep that place in the heart which is due to God whether Idols properly so called when Divine Worship is purposely given to any thing under any respect besides the true God Exod. 32. 5 6. with 1 Cor. 10. 7. or improperly when though not the outward worship yet the inward respect and honour such as the measure of love joy confidence or fear due to God is given to the Creature whether it be a mans belly Phil. 3. 19. or his wealth Eph. 5. 5. for it was mentioned of these Thessalonians that they had turned from Idols as a fruit of the Gospel powerfully preached among them 6. It will not prove a powerful and gracious work of the Gospel upon a mans heart that he forsake his Idols except he also turn to God and bestow upon him that inward respect external worship pains and diligence which he did formerly give unto them Otherwise if he only turn from a greater degree of Idolatry to a lesser or from all Idolatry to practical Atheism or if he quit a false Religion and turn wholly irreligious and a meer Nullifidian he doth only change his service but not his master he serveth Satan and some one or other of his own lusts still for it is mentioned of them as an evidence of a gracious work among them they had turned from Idols to God 7. Though the Lord alone without any actual concurrence of our free-will doth at first regenerate us by creating gracious habits and principles of a new life in us Ezek. 36. 26. who then are dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2. 1. and consequently can contribute nothing towards our own quickning yet in the after progress of the work of grace we are not wholly patients but from a principle of Grace in us 2 Tim. 1. 6. we do also work being first acted and wrought upon by God Cant. 4. 16. for saith he ye had turned to God The word is of an active signification 8. Then doth a sinner turn sincerely from sin to God when he devotes himself wholly to God as his Lord and soveraign to do him worship and service according to the prescript of his word Matth. 5. 9. Idle sluggards have not sincerely turned to God for as a mark of their sincerity in turning it is mentioned they turned to God to serve the true and living God 9. In our doing service to God we should carefully labour to take him up in those his Divine properties and glorious attributes by which he hath made himself known to us in his word that so the known worth of him whom we do serve may make his service lovely and our service given unto him to be acceped of by him as being performed to that God whom Scripture revealeth to be God and not a to mishapen deity or fancy of our own brains for it is mentioned of them in their giving service to God they took him up as the living and true God to hearten them in his service and to distinguish him from dead Idols and false Gods To serve the living and true God Ver. 10. And to wait for his Son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come Here is a second thing wherein the sincerity of their conversion did make it self evident which is first propounded to wit their patient waiting for and hopeful expectation of the eternal Son of the eternal Father his second coming from Heaven to Judgement 2. The grounds of this their hope and expectation are unfolded in a description of Christ first From his Resurrection from the dead by the power of the Father so that though he was once dead he is now alive And therefore their waiting for his second coming was not without ground 2. From his Office whereby as in the mean time he doth deliver in part so at his second coming he shall compleatly deliver us saith Paul that is all sincere believers as he was from the wrath to come that is the punishment woe and vengeance due to all mankind for sin Eph. 2 3. and which he shall fully execute at the last day upon all unbelievers 2 Thes. 1. 7 8 9. and therefore they to wit believers had good ground to expect his second coming and good by his coming Hence learn first several marks of sound conversion or of a sincere convert 1. He doth so turn to God and give him service as he looks upon God with an eye to Christ whom he serveth equally with the Father and through whom he approacheth to the Father Joh. 14. 6. as to a God reconciled whose Justice is satisfied and his wrath appeased through him Matth. 3. 17. for it is mentioned as a mark of the sincerity of their conversion that as they turned to serve God the Father v. 9. so they also gave divine honour to his Son by hoping in him waiting for him and looking to him as an interposer betwixt them and the dint of Gods deserved wrath They turned to wait for his Son which delivered us from the wrath to come 2. A sincere convert doth turn to God to give him service not for a start and season only with a purpose to return to his Idols when he pleaseth but to continue constant in his service so long as he liveth and ever while Christ come to loose him from it for the word rendred to wait signifieth to remain constant and so doth point at their patient continuance in the service of God 3. A sincere convert can never rest satisfied with his present receipts or with any thing he can enjoy upon earth his expectation and hopes do carry him beyond time to look for Heaven for Glory a life of light and joy to be bestowed upon him by Christ when he cometh to judge the world for waiting for Christs second coming is mentioned as a fruit and consequence of their sincere conversion And to wait for his Son 4. A sincere convert is one to whom especially when in a right temper Christs second coming although it be abhorred by wicked Atheists Act. 24. 25. yet is not terrible but a thing hoped for and much longed after for they turned to wait for his Son 5.
for if we believe c. 2. Concerning Christs death and resurrection see upon Gal. 1. 1. doct 7. Jesus dyed and rose again 3. Though thus saith the Lord and divine revelation be a ground sufficient in it self whereupon to build our faith Psal. 60. 6. yet such is our unwillingness to believe especially when the thing spoken hath no ground in reason Gen. 18. 12. and so great is Gods condescendence to help and supply our weakness Joh. 20. 27. that he alloweth us to make use of any other lawful mean whereby we may strengthen our faith and as it were reason our selves up to a belief of that which the Lord saith for so the Apostle doth teach us to take help from Christs death and resurrection to strengthen us in the faith of our own resurrection for if we believe saith he that Jesus dyed and rose again even so c. 4. Among other things helpful to bring us to the solid and fixed belief of revealed truths this is one to single out some truths which are more easily believed than others as having besides the authority of God interposing for the truth of them some further confirmation from humane testimony or their powerful effects upon our own hearts or the hearts of others that so being once fixed and setled in the faith of those we may be thereby in some measure helped to give credit unto all such other truths as have dependence upon them for Paul to bring them to the faith of their own resurrection would have them improving the faith they had of Christs death and resurrection which was confirmed by so many witnesses Luke 1. 1 2. and accompanied with wonderful effects upon the hearts of many If we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again even so c. 5. As those and those only shall attain to the blessed resurrection of the just unto life who continue in the faith whereby they are ingrafted in Christ to their last breath Heb. 3. 14. So the union betwixt Christ and believers once made by faith is so sure and firm that death it self cannot dissolve it yea not only their souls but also their bodies being separate from their souls and in a manner from it self when dissolved in the grave to ashes do yet remain united to Christ For those whom God shall raise to a glorious life are designed to be such as sleep in Jesus and living dying and dead are still in him yea and their bodies which only do properly sleep are also in him Even so also them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 6. The great prop for our faith to rest upon as to the truth of the resurrection is the power of God whereby he is able to do what he will Psal. 135. 6. and to make us of new out of our own ashes as once at the first he made all things of nothing Heb. 11. 3. for he leads them to Gods power for grounding of their confidence while he saith Them will God bring with him 7. Through vertue of that union betwixt believers and Christ it cometh to pass that whatever hath befallen Christ as he is the head of believers shall in Gods due time be verified in believers themselves that due proportion and distance being always kept which is betwixt head and members for he inferreth that we shall be raised because he arose because of our union with him them will God bring with him Ver. 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are aâ—leep Followeth a third head of the forementioned doctrine expressing the order wherein the dead shall arise which serveth also for a third ground of consolation against immoderate sorrow And first in this verse that he may conciliate authority to the following doctrine which transcends the reach of humane reason to know and understand without special revelation he doth after the manner of the Prophets Zech. 4. 6. premit a preface asserting that what he was to say was by or in the word of the Lord that is in his name and by vertue of express commission from him 2. He sets down the order wherein the dead were to rise first negatively to this purpose They which shall be then alive and remain on earth until Christs second coming as a small remnant of all that numerous company of believers who had formerly lived but ere then will be removed by death that small remnant I say shall not prevent or have the start of those who are asleep or dead to wit neither as to their meeting with Christ in the air nor their actual possession of glory spoken of v. 17. and Paul puts himself among those who shall be then alive while he speaketh in the first person we not as if he had been to continue until then but because he divides all believers at Christs coming in two ranks the living and the dead he doth as it were for an example of the purpose in hand place himself among the living as he then was when he wrote or that he may thereby teach believers in all times to make ready for that day as if it were to come in their own time because the peremptory time when it shall come is uncertain Matth. 24. 42. Doct. 1. So violent is the current of impetuous affections when once given way to Psal. 77. 3. so hardly are we convinced of the evil that is in the excess of any thing in it self lawful and in particular in the excess of immoderate grief Joh. 4. 4 9. that a word in the by will not allay it there must be word upon word and reason upon reason to demonstrate not only the sinfulness of it but also that there is no reason for it for Paul having given two reasons already to allay their immoderate sorrow he doth here give a third taken from the order wherein the dead shall rise for this we say unto you c. 2. As Ministers should bring forth nothing for truth but that to which they may premit Thus saith the Lord So whatever truths they deliver though never so far above the reach of natures light if once it be made known that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken them we ought without further enquiry to stop our ears unto all that carnal or corrupt reason can suggest against the truth of them for being to deliver some mysterious truths above the reach of natural understanding he premitteth this that they had divine authority for them and therefore should have credit for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord saith he 3. The Lord Christ shall never want a Church of believers upon earth which in despight of Satans malice to the contrary shall still have a being either more conspicuously Isa. 2. 2. or more hidly Rev. 12. 6. in some one place or other until Christs second coming for Paul sheweth there will be
the day of Gods righteous judgement in so far as their bodies shall lye dissolved in the grave until then Job 19. 26 27. and then being raised in glory they shall be united unto their souls Joh. 5. 28 29. and the whole man perfectly and unchangeably blessed 1 Thes. 4. 17 18. The Lord having so provided that neither our forerunners without us nor we without our after-comers shall be compleatly glorified but the head-stone of glory being put upon all at once the glorifying of Christ in them and of them in Christ may be the more solemn and glorious for he sheweth that the recompence of rest will be when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed c. and not until them 2. It may contribute not a little to the comfort and encouragement of Christian sufferers and the terrour of their Godless Persecutors to know not only that a day of general Judgement shall be but also that in that day the Lord Jesus shall be Judge even he for whom the Godly suffered Act. 5. 41. who gave himself to death that he might save them Ephes. 5. 25 26 27. who is their head Ephes. 1. 22. their husband 2 Cor. 11. 2. their dearest friend Cant. 5. 16. and therefore he cannot choose but pass a favourable sentence on them and it is he whom wicked men despised Isa. 53. 3. whose gracious offers they rejected Matth. 23. 37. whose servants friends and followers they set at nought and persecuted Gal. 4. 29. and therefore there can be none whose terrible sentence they have more reason to fear than his for in order to the main scope which is to comfort the persecuted Godly and as a mean subservient thereto to terrifie their Godless Persecutors he sheweth that Christ shall be the Judge When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed c. saith he 3. Though there be much revealed preached and mâ—de known of Christ 2 Tim. 4. 17. yet he remaineth obscure and hid The wicked do not know him at all as not believing the truth of what they hear concerning him Isa. 53. 1. until they see it to their own unspeakable sorrow and grief Rev. 1. 7. yea and even the Godly do but know in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. and cannot comprehend by faith and at a distance the hundredth part of that excellency and beautiful glory which they shall find him adorned with when they shall see him face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. Besides that his bodily presence is for the time kept up from their eyes the curtain of the highest Heavens being interposed betwixt them and that glorious sight For while he saith the Lord Jesus shall be then revealed it is implyed that until then he is in a manner hid 4. It may also contribute much to the comfort of the Godly and terrour of the wicked that Jesus Christ the Judge shall come not in a state of humiliation as he did at the first when his divine glory was so much covered over with the vail of humane though sinless Heb. 4. 15. infirmities that a natural eye could see no beauty in him for which it should either desire him or fear him Isa. 53. 2. But he shall come as an exalted King accompanyed with a glorious train of mighty Angels to execute what sentence shall be passed from whom as the Godly can expect nothing but favourable dealing as from their dearest friends their fellow servants Rev. 22. 9. and those who are employed by Christ the Judge to bring about the good of the Elect and in a manner to serve them while they are here on earth Heb. 1. 14. So the wicked can expect nothing but the certain and summary execution of their dreadful sentence from those blessed creatures designed executioners for that very thing whom the damned reprobates cannot resist they are so mighty and strong Psal. 103. 20. nor flee from they are so swift Isa. 6. 2. nor move with flattery and requests they are so true unto their trust Psal. 103. 21. For in order to the comfort of the one and terrour of the other he sheweth how Christ shall come accompanied with a glorious train of mighty Angels 5. Even those things which are in themselves most terrible and shall be so to Godless reprobates at Christs second coming have in them matter of comfort and encouragement unto the Godly and in particular those very flames which shall put those Heavens and Earth which now are all in a blaze and consequently shall prove a most terrible and sadning sight unto the wicked when all their delightsome Idols are burnt up and destroyed before their eyes and that flame of fiery wrath then kindled shall devour themselves unto all eternity even those terrible flames shall be a comfortable sight unto the Godly yea and the fore-thoughts of them may and should yield comfort to them under their present trouble as knowing that the more terrible that judgement is which doth remain for their adversaries the more are they both in their persons and cause owned by the Lord for clearing whereof he will give such evident proofs of his wrath against all who will not favour them as he doth for in order to their comfort he sheweth that Jesus the Lord shall be revealed in flaming fire Ver. 8. Taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He describeth the day of Judgement secondly from a twofold end of Christs coming on it and joyntly cleareth that two-fold retribution spoken of v. 6 7 The first end relateth to the wicked he shall come to take vengeance on them that is to proceed against them as a wrathful judge with all extremity and without any mixture of mercy for vengeance signifieth a wrathful retribution of evil and those upon whom he shall take vengeance are of two sorts 1. All those whether Pagans or profest Christians who know not God and are ignorant of what may and is necessary in order to salvation to be known of him 2. All those among Christians who though they have some knowledge of Gospel-truths yet do not yield that subjection and obedience thereunto which is enjoyned by it The greatness of which sin of disobedience to the Gospel is hinted at in this that the Gospel is here called the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that is a doctrine which he hath revealed and which treateth of him and the way of acquiring a right unto him and to life eternal through him So that to slight and disobey the Gospel is to slight Jesus Christ with all the good things purchased by him Doct. 1. Men by living in their ignorance of God and disobedience to the Gospel do not only wrong themselves and are indeed greatest enemies to their own mercies but do also injure the Lord and what in them lyeth do put an affront upon him as if the knowledge of God were not worth the pains and as if Christ had put himself to unnecessary travel for purchasing life and salvation
chap. 2. 14. because they thought the noise of that ill usage which the Gospel did meet with in that prime City spreading far and near would scare others from embracing it and yet the Lord makes the very same thing to wit the spreading report of the cruelty of persecutors together with the report of constancy in believers a mean of spreading the Gospel far and near In every place saith he your faith to God-ward is spread abroad 5. Though the grace of faith be rooted in the heart and cannot be immediately seen yet whereever it is it cannot long be hid but needs must discover it self by the external fruits which follow upon it and flow from it for the fame of their faith did spread abroad by manifesting it self in its fruits 6. The Lord doth give a name for faith and piety beyond others unto some in mercy that thereby they may be the more ingaged unto perseverance and constancy and so to walk answerably unto their name as knowing that the more famous they are the more will be expected from them for he mentioneth this of the general fame that was spread of their graces in all the Churches as a strong motive unto constancy which as I shew is the scope of all his purpose in the first part of the Epistle 7. It is a piece of a Ministers duty in relation to his flock as to press conscience making of duty upon them 1 Tim. 6. 17. rebuke them sometimes sharply Tit. 1. 13. yea and to complain of them both to God and man for palpable neglect of duty Isa. 49. 4. So to commend them also unto others even to strangers for the good that is in them that thereby they themselves may be the more incouraged in their duty Chap. 4. 9 10. and others provoked to follow them in that which is so praise-worthy 2 Cor. 9. 2. And that God the Author of all good James 1. 17. may hereby get glory 2 Cor. 8. 16 c. for while Paul sheweth he had not need to speak any thing to the commendation of the Thessalonians their fame was spread so generally among the Churches he implyeth it was his usual way whereever he came to commend the graces of God in such among whom his Ministry had been effectual Ver. 9. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entring in we had unto you and how ye turned from God to Idols to serve the living and true God Paul doth here make the truth of what he presently spoke appear That the fame and report of their graces was so generally spread in all places that he needed not speak any thing to their commendation And he makes it appear from this that they themselves that is the forraign Churches among whom he conversed were able to give him a perfect account of the Gospels progress among the Thessalonians and more particularly they did give him an account of two things The first relates to Paul himself and his associates to wit what manner of entrance they had to Thessalonica whereby he doth not mean that either they had entred that City or were received by it in any great pomp or worldly state The History Act. 17. 1 c. sheweth the contrary But he thereby expresseth their own ministerial carriage and the Lords countenancing of their Ministry among that people spoken of briefly v. 5. and more largely Chap. 2. v. 1. to 13. The second thing whereof those forraign Churches did give Paul an account relateth to the Thessalonians and the fruit of Pauls Ministry among them to wit 1. Of the work of their conversion and turning unto God from their Idols or false Gods whom they did formerly worship which work of turning to God consists in the exercise of faith and repentance as appears from Isa. 55. 2. with 7. where coming to God forsaking of sinful wayes turning to the Lord are spoken of as expressing pieces and parts of one and the same thing 2. Of the sincerity of this work evidencing it self in a twofold end or fruit of their conversion the first whereof is in this verse to wit their doing service to God set forth by two epithets to distinguish him from Idols 1. He is the living God who hath life in himself Joh. 1. 4. and is the author and preserver of life unto others Act. 17. 28. in opposition to their dumb and lifeless Idols as Sun Moon and Stars which the Gentiles worshipped Psal. 135. 13 c. Next he is the true God The word in the Original doth not so much express his fidelity and that truth which he sheweth in performing what he speaketh In which respect he is also the true God Mat. 5. 18. as the truth of his being and nature he is really and truly God in opposition to another sort of Heathen Idols which though they were not lifeless as the former but possible men or spirits yet they were not true or really Gods but by nature no Gods Gal. 4. 8. Doct. 1. It is the duty of Christians to inform themselves so far as possibly and conveniently they may how the work of God doth thrive in forraign Churches as being members of the same body 1 Cor. 10. 17. and that thereby they may have matter of rejoycing in God Chap. 3. 6 7. and imitation for themselves 2 Cor. 9. 2. when things go well and of fellow-feeling with Christs afflicted members Heb. 13. 3. and wrestling with God on their behalf Heb. 13. 18 19. when it is otherwayes for believers far and near had informed themselves so well of the state of the Church at Thessalonica that they were able to give Paul an account of it for they themselves shew of us saith he 2. It is the duty of Christians not enviously to suppress but cheerfully to publish the deserved commendation of others and the praise of Gods glorious grace manifested to them beyond their neighbours even though we should thereby seem to darken our own reputation being compared with theirs for so did these other Churches cheerfully publish the deserved praises of the Thessalonians They themselves shew of us The word signifies to declare a thing boldly freely and with good will as Ambassadours do return their answer from forraign States 3. Whatever praise-worthy grace is among the Lords people it is ordinarily conveyed unto them from the Lord by means of a publick Ministry so that a people cannot well be commended except the Minister whom God hath made instrumental for their good be in some respect commended also And therefore for a people to boast of their graces received and to trample underfoot the reputation of a faithful Ministry by whose means they were bestowed is most absurd and in point of reason inconsistent for those believers being to set forth the praises of the Church at Thessalonica begin with the commendation of Paul and his associates who were their Ministers and by whose means they were converted They shew what manner of entring in we had unto you and
Jesus Christ. 6. Though the merits of Christ were not a cause moving God to love or elect any to salvation for his electing love did move him to give Christ for sinners Joh. 3. 16. yet they are the procuring meritorious cause for the worth whereof salvation is actually bestowed upon any They are the cause though not of the decree yet of bestowing the salvation decreed for the Apostle affirms the obtaining or purchasing of salvation was by our Lord Jesus Christ. 7. As salvation could not be actually bestowed upon the elect before it was purchased and an equivalent price payed to divine justice in satisfaction for those sins by which they had lost and fore-faulted it Heb. 9. 15. So neither they themselves nor any meer creature was able to make this purchase or lay down the price The redemption of the soul is precious and ceaseth for ever to wit among meer creatures Psal. 49. 8. It was Christ alone the second person in the blessed Trinity who made this purchase of lost salvation and was designed in the same decree of election for that end Hence Eph. 1. 4. God is said to have chosen us in Christ which is more plainly expressed here He hath appointed us to obtain or to the obtaining or purchasing of salvation by Jesus Christ implying that the salvation for which the elect were appointed behoved to be purchased and the purchase of it by the same appointment was put over upon him there being no other able for it Ver. 10. Who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him He illustrates the last ground of hope by shewing first the means by which Christ did purchase salvation to the elect and what this purchase stood him to wit no less than his blessed life he died and that for us that is in our stead Gal. 3. 13. and next the end proposed by him in his death and which is undoubtedly obtained thereby to wit â—hat we or all the elect of whom v. 9. should live the spiritual life of grace here and eternal life of glory hereafter and this whether they wake or sleep which words may not be taken as v. 6. for they who sleep securely in sin do not live with Christ but either properly for bodily sleeping or watching or rather improperly for our living and dying this natural life or death as 1 Thes. 4. 13. So the sense is That no change which can befall the believer in this life no nor death it self shall hinder him to live this life and to live together with him that is by vertue of his union with Christ and of that influence for life which floweth from his blessed face and presence Doct. 1. The salvation of the eiect through reason of their sin was so deeply mortgaged and they so far from any ground of claim unto it that no less ransom was necessary to purchase salvation for them than the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ for Paul condescending on the way how Christ did purchase salvation for the elect saith he died for us that we should live 2. The great end and cause of Christs death was that having thereby payed a sufficient ransom to provoked justice for the guilty elect he might purchase for them that life and salvation which was formerly fore-faulted and lost and therefore though by his sufferings and death he did confirm the truth of the Gospel and leave us an example of patience to follow his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21. yet those were not the principal much less the only but the secondary ends of his death for Paul sheweth that he died for this end mainly to obtain and purchase salvation and that they should live together with him 3. Then do we rightly apply the fruit of Christs death as to the purchase of salvation unto our selves when we joyntly therewith draw an argument from it to resist sin which stood our Lord so dear and to lead an holy life in exercising sobriety watchfulness and all other saving graces as that which he so aimed at in his death for this of Christs dying for them may be looked upon as a further incitement to the exercise of all the forementioned vertues who died for us saith he 4. The salvation purchased by Christ for the elect is nothing other but a reviving of them from their spiritual death Eph. 2. 1. to that new and spiritual life which is begun here in regeneration Joh. 3. 3. carryed on in the exercise of grace Gal. 2. 21. and shall be afterwards compleated in glory Col. 3. 4. so that saving grace is begun salvation and grace is no less purchased by Christ than glory it self for in stead of saying he died that he might purchase salvation according to his present scope as appears from v. 9. he saith as the equivalent of it he died that we should live together with him 5. This life of grace begun here and perfected in glory is the most excellent of any other life It carryeth the name of life from any other besides which being compared with it are nothing but a death for therefore doth he give it the name of life here absolutely and without any addition to shew what kind of life he meaneth as if there were no other life but it only who dyed saith he that we should live with him 6. Though this life of grace doth not exempt the elect from natural death yet so excellent is it that it maketh the man who hath it out-live death Death it self the King of terrours shall not bereave him of it for he suppâ—â—es that the elect will dye their natural death here expressed by the name of sleep and yet that they shall not be bereaved of this excellent life that whether we wake or sleep we should live saith he 7. It is the presence of Christ and oâ—r union with him by faith here Eph. 3. 17. and sense hereafter 1 Joh. 3. 2. an union thaâ— death it self cannot dissolve which makes us live this blessed and excellent life It is as the soul to the body the very life of our life and that whereby we formally live So that though Christ by his dâ—ath did purchase this life yet the elect do not actually enjoy it until they be united to him for so much doth he teach while he saith that we should live together with him Ver. 11. Wherefore comfort your selves together and edifie one another even as also ye do He doth here press a third branch of sanctification the necessity whereof in its subserviency to the former duties is pointed at in the illative particle wherefore and the summ of it is that they would first not only comfort themselves together as Gods dealing with any did call for comfort but also mutually exhort and incite one another to the exercise as of all other vertues so especially of those presently mentioned for the word rendred comfort signifieth also to exhort And next edifie one another or as skilful and